The Aftermath
by TrueHeartTrueMind
Summary: Set after House of Hades, this story will cover how the seven demigods deal with Percy & Annabeth's return from Tartarus. Rated M for now. Definitely Percabeth, probably Jasper.
1. Jason I

Disclaimer: I haven't written any fanfiction in quite a while, so any reviews and critiques are welcome! I recently binge read all of Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus and couldn't accept not knowing what happens next...ta da, my take on the future. I don't own any of these characters xo

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Jason knew that the Argo II would face trouble on its way to Athens, but he was not counting on that trouble coming from Percy and Annabeth.

Piper had asked Jason to help her go over maneuvers with her knife on the quarterdeck while the two took the first night shift. Leo too was awake, sitting at the helm, tinkering with his Archimedes' sphere. The first day's travel in the Ionian Sea had been eerily calm and monster free, although they all welcomed the reprieve.

Jason lunged at Piper, who deflected the blow, but missed her moment for counter attack.

"That might work against Hazel, but if you're fighting someone taller than you, especially with a knife, you have to quickly get on their inside. After the parry you have to step in and slide along the blade. Try it slow." Piper wiped sweat off her brow and did as Jason instructed. As she stepped in with her blade, Jason smiled. If Piper wanted to learn swordplay, he totally supported it and would do anything he could to help her. But damn, seeing his beautiful girlfriend wield a blade was a major turn on.

"What are you smiling at?" Piper said, her own lips curling up. As they stood with blades locked, Leo looked over.

"Oh gods, please don't let your lesson turn into a make out session. Coach would not approve." Festus made some whirring sounds in agreement and Leo responded, "I hear you buddy."

Jason and Piper broke apart, "Okay, Piper. Do it a few more times, faster."

As they ran the drills, the Argo II started to rock. Nothing unusual, just a little choppy. At least until the ship lurched and Piper's blade slid right into Jason's shoulder.

"Gods!" Jason quickly ripped the blade out and pressed his hand to the wound.

"Jason, I'm so sorry! Let me fix you in the sick bay—"

"Wait—Leo! What's going on?" Jason yelled. He saw tears forming in Piper's eyes and quickly grabbed in hand as if to say, _It's fine. I've had worse_.

"Not sure. Sonar doesn't show any monsters and Festus can't find a problem with the ship—" Another lurch and the three were knocked down their butts.

"It's just waves? I can't sense any storms…" Jason was nervous. Invisible monster? No storm?

"Better get our oceanologist up here!" Leo yelled scrambling to keep the ship steady.

By the time Piper and Jason made it to the stairs, the ship bobbed frantically from side to side.

"Percy!" Jason shouted over the noise of sliding furniture and falling dishes. They made it to the bottom of the stairs and found Annabeth trying to reach Percy's room. The doors to Hazel and Frank's rooms were closed, but Jason could hear them struggling to get into the cabin hall.

"Percy, wake up!" Annabeth cried.

"Is he even in there?" Piper asked while tripping into the hallway. Jason jumped and willed the air to push him toward Percy's cabin. Fortunately and unfortunately, the Argo II rocked in tandem with Jason's flight, causing him to soar straight into and then through Percy's door. Jason fell harshly into the cabin. He grabbed Percy's bed for support and saw his friend thrashing under the covers.

"Wake up, man!" Jason screamed. He pushed himself up and shook Percy's arm, but that only seemed to make the ship more unstable.

"Piper, wake him up!"

Piper took a deep breath and spoke with comfort and authority, "Percy, you're just dreaming. Snap out of it!"

Instantly Percy shot up in bed with a gasp. The sea soon after returned to a steady calm.

"Gods, Jackson." Jason slumped to the floor. Annabeth rushed into the room and wrapped her arms around a very pale and sweat soaked Percy. Piper followed her into the room and knelt at Jason's side.

"What the hell just happened?" Frank and Hazel appeared in the doorway.

Percy blinked a few times and then cracked a small smile, "Nightmare. Sorry, guys."

"Prophetic nightmare?" Hazel quickly asked.

"Nothing to worry about." Percy said. Jason watched his eyes flick to Annabeth. He had a feeling it wasn't so much a nightmare as a memory.

"Alright, everyone back to your cabins." Jason ordered while Piper helped him stand up. The demigods shuffled off, but Jason turned back toward the bed where Annabeth still grasped Percy.

"Annabeth, make sure he doesn't destroy our ship." Jason closed the door behind him and let Piper lead him to the sick bay.


	2. Percy II

Disclaimer: Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows! I'll be sure to check out your stories :D Here is my second installment! Sorry that it's so short, but the next one will be up soon. Also, I haven't figured out an ending to this fic, but I plan on having it finished before the Blood of Olympus comes out.

I don't own any of these characters xo

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"Wake up, Seaweed Brain."

Percy opened his eyes to Annabeth leaning over him pushing his hair back. He groaned and hid under his pillow.

"I almost made the whole ship Charybdis chow!"

Annabeth grabbed the pillow and hit his chest with it.

"Everyone on this ship has done something stupid or embarrassing." She placed the pillow aside and grabbed his hand.

"Not as embarrassing as me." Percy muttered. He looked at Annabeth and a soft sadness washed over them. She knew what he was thinking.

"That's what you were dreaming about." Annabeth gave his hand a squeeze. Percy closed his eyes and sighed. The memory of him dropping Riptide as Tartarus appeared before them at the Doors of Death replayed in his mind on a loop.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about—you have nothing to prove, especially not to me. I wouldn't have survived down there without you."

Percy sat up and pulled Annabeth into a quick kiss. When they pulled away he smiled.

"Breakfast time?"

"Not for me. I stayed up to watch you. I'm going to try and nap." Annabeth kissed Percy's cheek and then headed for her cabin.

Percy pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and headed to the galley. He found Hazel, Frank and Leo eating breakfast.

"Morning, everyone! Sleep well?" Percy shot everyone a grin and sat down. He pulled a plate in front of him and eagerly dug into the blue pancakes that popped up.

"Hey, we're all wondering something," Leo asked cautiously. Percy looked up slowly and saw Hazel and Frank shoot Leo a nervous look.

Leo continued, "What is with the blue food? Is it because the ocean's blue?"

Percy laughed and Hazel rolled her eyes. Frank gave Leo a light punch on the shoulder.

"Come on, you two must have been wondering." Leo waggled his eyebrows.

"It's uh, sort of a joke between my mom and me." Percy explained. He was going to say more when he realized that he was the only one at the table who hadn't lost his mother. Before it could get awkward he asked, "So, Leo, what's the course today?"

With eggs in his mouth Leo replied, "Following the coastline. Depending on where we are in the afternoon, I thought we might go ashore and eat dinner in a real restaurant."

"If you guys don't mind, I thought I might float next to the ship for a while. Try to clear my mind." Percy moved his fork across his plate.

"I think that's a great idea!" Hazel gave Percy a warm smile.

"You're like, an extra sonar in the water anyway." Leo said in agreement.

"Maybe you could try to keep the ship sailing a little extra smoothly for a few hours too?" Hazel asked.

"Oh, gods, yeah, sorry, Hazel! I can only imagine what my stunt did to your stomach." Percy apologized and willed his plate to bring up another batch of pancakes.

"Well, I'm gonna go catch some shut eye. Festus will alert me if anything goes wrong." Leo announced by standing up and stretching his arms.

"Who's going to steer?" Frank asked.

"Piper breathed life into Festus! He's got the navigation down. Leo, out!" he sauntered out of the room.

After a few more minutes of eating and chit chat, Percy, Frank and Hazel made their way above deck. Excitedly, Percy jumped overboard and let the sea engulf him. He instantly felt better, like his nerves were washed away and his thoughts cleansed. Of course, nothing could block out flashbacks from Tartarus, but the sea could definitely hold them back for a while.

Percy rose broke the water and floated on his back within arm's reach of the Argo II. As he swayed with the waves he could hear Hazel and Frank laughing. He closed his eyes and offered a silent prayer to his father.

_Poseidon—er, Neptune? If you can hear me at all, let Mom know I'm doing okay. Iris messages aren't working very well. Probably don't tell her about Tartarus. Could you even see me when I was down there? Anyway, hope you get un-crazy soon. _

Percy hoped for a response, but of course, none came. Maybe a hippocampus? Heck, he would have settled for a splash in the face. He had no idea how Poseidon was doing with his split personality. What would his father say if he knew Percy was entertaining the idea of someday having a life with Annabeth in Camp Jupiter? Would he care? Would Percy have to become Roman? Percy couldn't think about that future without wondering if the choice meant giving up Camp Half-Blood forever. That was his home. Percy knew that Jason made the decision to "go Greek". He realized when he was told the story of the praetorship being passed to Frank—

"PERCY!" Annabeth shrieked from her cabin. In a heartbeat, Percy commanded the water to stream him off the surface and down the stairs. As the water carried him into the cabin hallway, Annabeth ran out of her room with tears down her face. She collapsed into Percy's arms and began to sob.

"I couldn't see anything! I couldn't see! I could hear the curses everywhere but I couldn't see." Percy sunk to the ground with Annabeth clutching at his shirt.

"Holy Hephaestus!" Leo said standing in his doorway and picking up his foot in dismay. The entire deck now had two inches of water in it. Percy flicked his hand absentmindedly and the flood quickly snaked up the stairs past a very concerned looking Frank and Hazel and eventually crawled its way to the edge of the ship and back into the water.

Percy picked Annabeth up in his arms and looked at his friends, who he was sure could sense the sadness and fury pouring out of his body. He locked eyes with Jason.

"Stay with her."

Percy nodded and then carried Annabeth into her room.


	3. Piper III

Disclaimer: I'm just feelin' short chapters. If you guys want to see anything happen in the story, feel free to give me suggestions! Hi, new followers! :D

I don't own any of these characters xo

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Piper, Jason, Leo, Frank and Hazel sat around the table brainstorming what to do about their friends who were clearly suffering from horrific memories.

"We can make sure someone is with them at all times?" Frank suggested.

"Send them on a mini vacation? Leave them on an island until the killing-screaming thing is gone?" Leo put out there while he fiddled with wires.

"We can't just abandon them, they could be attacked." Hazel rejected Leo's idea.

"Hazel's right, we can't leave them alone, but we also can't take shifts watching them while they sleep." Jason stated.

"Muzzle and crate? Although, Percy would probably just conjure a hurricane." Leo shrugged.

"Maybe trying being helpful?" Frank shot at Leo.

"Fine. I'll build something to monitor their dream waves—"

"Stop." Piper interjected. Everyone looked at her. "They have to be together."

Piper rolled her eyes as everyone's faces seemed to say, _uh duh_.

"I mean, that they can't be separated when they're sleeping. They need to be in the same room."

"Ah." Jason leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow. Piper felt that furrow in her heart. Wouldn't she just love to sleep next to Jason every night, but this wasn't about furthering anyone's relationship. This was about easing their friends' PTSD and making sure the team was worrying about external problems.

There was a creak and then Annabeth and Percy appeared in the doorway.

"Hey." Annabeth offered a weak smile. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hand was clasped firmly with Percy's.

"We think we may have found a solution to your, uh, nightmares." Jason announced.

"Yeah, you two need to sleep together." Leo added.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth said shocked.

"Leo!" Piper said exasperated. She looked at Hazel, fanning her face and then turned to Annabeth and Percy. She gave them a sweet smile.

"What Leo means to say is that we think you guys should sleep in Coach's room until the nightmares fade. The bed is bigger," Piper looked at Leo and cut off whatever comment he was about to make, "We just, we think you two need each other to start to push the memories back."

Percy's face blushed while Annabeth's seemed to be calculating something. After a few seconds, Annabeth simply said, "Okay."

"Okay?" Percy questioned.

"Yes, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said annoyed. Confidence quickly spread over her face.

"Jason," Piper said lovingly. "You're in Annabeth's seat." Jason laughed and then stood up, motioning for Annabeth to take her undisputed seat at the head of the table.


	4. Annabeth IV

Disclaimer: Two chapters today because they aren't very long.

I don't own any of these characters xo

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"So, which side do you want?" Percy asked. Annabeth stood with him in front of Coach's old bed. She had cleaned the room earlier to remove smells, but she still felt like he was there judging them.

"Do you feel weird about this?" Annabeth asked.

"Sleeping next to you? No. The fact that our friends ordered it…yes."

"We aren't going to unlock relationship feuds, are we?"

"No, everyone gets that this is just in the best interest of the quest. Besides, could you see Frank and Hazel sharing a room? Hazel would probably pass out and Frank would probably turn into a skittish animal." Percy joked and poked Annabeth in the side. He was right of course. But she couldn't help feel a little guilty…half of her decision to go through with this was just the simple fact that she would get to spend more time with Percy and maybe steal a few more kisses before the big fight.

"I wish Hera hadn't stolen you." Annabeth mumbled bitterly.

"I'm here now." Percy wrapped her into a hug.

"I know, but a lot of things could have happened for us in eight months. You've thought about the future, but we might not even get one…Dirt Face is pretty adamant about wanting to sacrifice the two of us. I know we have to be strong and protect our friends, but gods, I wish we could simply enjoy each other before the battle to end all battles."

Percy laughed, "Annabeth Chase, are you saying you would have your way with me?"

"Not if you talk like that!" Annabeth blushed and slapped Percy's chest. He laughed more and then teasingly pinned her down onto the bed.

"Coach was right, you did need to be grounded!"

Annabeth groaned and tried to push him off but Percy leaned down to kiss her and she melted. Suddenly Percy pulled back. His sea green eyes shone brightly and seemed to smile.

"Thank you for not leaving Tartarus without me."

"Yeah, don't try anything like that again! There definitely won't be a future if you try to save me and not yourself." Annabeth responded.

"Annabeth, I love you so much. I should have said it earlier."

If Annabeth melted earlier, then what was left of her went flying.

"I love you too, Percy." They kissed again and then settled into a comfortable and Tartarus-free sleep.


	5. Leo V

Disclaimer: Reviews encourage me to keep writing :)

I don't own these characters xx

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Leo fell asleep in the engine room working on his astrolabe. As he slept, images of Arachne's crumbling lair kept appearing. He still felt guilt about letting Percy and Annabeth fall. _How could I not have accounted for the instability of the room?_

As the floor fell to pieces, revealing the pathway to Tartarus, the walls changed. The hole was now on the deck of the Astro II. _Great_. _What the hell does that mean?_ Slowly, it began sucking in various objects. Leo dove as the Archimedes sphere rolled toward the opening. He grabbed it right before it fell off the edge. Leo smiled and saw Percy standing across the chasm staring at him with stormy eyes. Percy reached his hand out toward Leo.

"Fall like I did."

Suddenly, Leo's body toppled into the opening; however, he fell into a soft pile of sand. He sat up and saw Calypso.

She smiled sweetly and then said, "Wake up, my hero. You have to wake up."

Leo bolted upwards—he was still in the engine room…but something was off. He ran above deck and found Hazel in deep concentration. There on the deck before her, was the entrance to Tartarus he had been dreaming about.

"Whoa, there, Misty!" Leo looked around nervously…no Percy and no objects sliding toward their destruction. So far, so good.

Hazel looked at him in excitement, "You can see that?"

"I can see it too." Frank was jittery. It looked like his body was trying to change shapes, but couldn't decide on an animal.

"I think I'm really getting the hang of the mist." Hazel smiled and the hole grew larger.

"I'm so glad you're levelling up, but can you quit it? Get this thing off my ship." Leo replied.

Suddenly, Percy appeared beside Leo.

"What the—"

Realization quickly dawned on his face, "Hazel, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry!" Hazel hung her head in shame and the mist cleared. The deck was once again solid.

Percy sighed in relief and then turned to Leo, "We aren't traveling in the right direction."

"Say what?" Leo quickly made his way to the quarterdeck.

"We've gone too far out to sea." Percy said. Leo trusted him, of course, but he didn't like thinking that Festus led them astray.

"Festus, are you sick or something?" Leo called while grabbing up his Wii remote.

"Did you guys see anything weird on watch?" Percy asked Hazel and Frank.

"No…but I was rather focused on controlling my mist." Hazel admitted.

"I didn't notice any significant shift in speed or direction." Frank added.

"Festus, the 411, come on!"

The dragon's head turned but instead of its usual whirring, a laugh came from the machine.

"Eidolon." Frank whispered.

"You are correct demigod!"

"Gods, didn't I kill you already?" Leo was ticked off. Hazel ran downstairs.

"You promised on the River Styx not to return to the Argo II!" Percy supplied.

"I didn't return to the ship, I became the ship!" another disconcerting laugh came out of Festus. Leo contemplated setting the ship on fire to try and smoke the spirit out.

"Eidolon, listen to me." Piper came on deck and walked toward Festus' head with Hazel, Jason and Annabeth behind her.

"I am listening, but your charmspeak has come too late."

Slowly, the ballistae and crossbows turned and took aim at the demigods.

_Of course my ship gets possessed and tries to kill me_, Leo thought.

"You will leave the Argo II!" Piper's words were so powerful that Leo had a mind to jump off the ship. That thought disappeared as the long range weapons each fired. Everyone dove for cover. Festus' eyes grew dark. When the red light returned, Festus whirred apologetically.

"Is it gone?" Frank asked, clutching his leg where an arrow glanced it. Luckily, the ballistae ammo had gone over the sides of the ship.

"I don't think it matters…" Annabeth pointed toward the sky. Circling above them was a brown pegasus and on it, Chrysaor.

Leo gasped and realized there was a dart in his shoulder. He pulled it out, erupted in flames and then passed out.


	6. Percy VI

A/N: Sorry to my followers, this isn't new! Just fixing the format because it apparently went crazy. Thanks sleeth819 for pointing it out! I should have a new chapter up over the next couple of days!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these character xx

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Percy sprung from his crouch when he saw Leo catch on fire. He looked to his friends, but they were all struggling to stay conscious. Darts stuck out of them in different places—Frank was writhing on the ground in his bulldog form.

"Reunited at last, Brother." Chrysaor landed in front of Percy and dismounted his pegasus. He smiled broadly.

"Do you like my new toy?" He twirled a dart blower in his fingers, "I've coated the tips with a powerful poison. Lethal with time—depending on how close they are to the heart. I think all of your friends should have a few hours left at least." Chrysaor surveyed the fallen demigods.

"Why didn't you poison me?"

"You take my crew, I take yours," Chrysaor's response was icy. "I'll also be taking this fine ship. You're free to join me after you watch your friends die, of course. I'll need someone to swab the deck." His smile returned.

"Give me the antidote." Percy drew Riptide hesitantly...last time he didn't stand a chance against Chrysaor…

"Please, haven't we done this already?" Chrysaor laughed and stroked his pegasus' head, "I can disarm you in seconds. Besides, I don't have an antidote. We aren't making a deal—I came to beat you and beat you I have."

Percy didn't know what to do—Chrysaor was right, he couldn't beat him with just a sword and a fight with water could be too evenly matched. He looked at Annabeth and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Percy mustered as much anger as he could and felt the familiar pain in the pit of his stomach. He reached his hand out toward Chrysaor and recalled his fight with Akhyls.

"What do you think you're…" Chrysaor's smile faded into confusion. He clutched at his chest and fell to his knees, gasping for deep breathes.

"What? Dad didn't give you this power?" Percy sneered. With his other hand he commanded a stream of water to pull the darts out of his friends. After, he closed his eyes and willed the poison to dribble out of their pinprick wounds. Slowly, his friends began to sit up.

"Let go of me you cretin!" Chrysaor yelled. Percy closed his hand into a fist and Chrysaor began to scream. Why shouldn't he kill Chrysaor? His enemy had been perfectly content to kill all of his friends—to kill Annabeth!—and then try to enslave Percy.

"Percy, you need to stop." Piper's voice washed over him like cold water. Percy gritted his teeth. The few drops of poison rose off his friends' skin and flew into Chrysaor's mouth. Percy released his brother of the death grip.

"May Gaea take you." Chrysaor spit at Percy and then flew away on his Pegasus.

"What the hell—did you just bloodbend?" said Leo with a weak voice.

"Bloodbend?" asked Jason with a frown.

"Blood is part water, so he can control it. Haven't you ever watched Ava—nevermind."

"Is that true, Percy?" Piper asked, frightened.

"Yes." Percy replied. He looked at Annabeth but she cast her eyes away from him.

"He smells like death." Hazel said in a low voice. Percy looked at her angrily and then jumped overboard.

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Author's Note: Tell me what you guys think of this one! I really think it's important that Percy has this new, darker power. I hope RR addresses it in the next book.


	7. Frank VII

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters xo

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Frank really tried to listen to Annabeth while she told the story of her and Percy's time spent in Tartarus—like, _really tried_. But every time another horrible thing came up—Arachne, basically drinking fire, the curses—Aries and Mars kept screaming in protest. _They shouldn't have survived that! Kill them to restore balance! Hermes has a temple in Tartarus? They worked with a_ Giant and_ a Titan? Traitors! Kill them, kill them! Bring honor to the house of Aries! No, triumph in the name of Mars!_

The pounding in Frank's head grew so out of control that he couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Would you shut up? Just shut up!" Frank shouted and banged a dent into the table with his fist. Realizing what he had done, he sheepishly looked around the table. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes. He had a feeling he interrupted Annabeth during a particularly gruesome detail.

"Frank?" Hazel placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Annabeth, that wasn't directed toward you." _You should direct your anger toward that girl! Daughter of Athena, how terrible. Daughter of Minerva, how scandalous!_

Frank pulled at his hair, "Aries and Mars have been battling in my head and I don't know how much longer I can stand it."

"Battling in your head?" Jason asked.

"They've been speaking to you? For how long?" Annabeth added with concern.

Frank sighed and revealed that it had been going on for a while.

"I didn't want you guys to worry, it's not a real concern to the quest. Besides, they usually get pretty quiet or lend me support when we're fighting anyone."

"Hey, buddy, hearing voices is always cause for concern, even if you are a demigod. We don't want you ending up in the funny farm." Leo said.

"Piper, try to ask them to stop," Annabeth chewed her lip in thought. "They do both love your mom."

"Um, sure." Piper leaned across the table and grabbed Frank's hands. She stared into his eyes.

"Hey, Mars, Aries." _What does she want? How dare she try to charmspeak the God of War!_

"I don't think my mom, the Goddess of Love, would approve of you stealing Frank's attention away from his girlfriend." _Venus? Aphrodite? She would absolutely want an obstacle put in the way of love!_

"They say that Venus would _want_ there to be an obstacle, to make it more interesting." Frank sighed.

Piper's brow furrowed, "Right, well, if you keep distracting Frank you wouldn't just be complicating their love life, you would be endangering the love of every demigod on this ship and perhaps the world!"

_All is fair in love and war, little girl. Seriously, I don't see any downside to any of you, especially that wretched Percy Jackson, suffering. Although, he's doing a pretty good job of that already, I'd say. I always knew that kid was no good. I dare him to try and control my blood! A good reason to finally kill him…_

"Ah, now they're talking about killing Percy." Frank winced. Annabeth put her head down on the table.

"Piper, I think if you try again it might only make things worse." Jason supplied.

"Do you think noisy headphones would drown them out?" Leo began producing wires and tools from his belt.

"Noisy headphones?" Hazel asked, bewildered.

"Uh, so, there are these things called noise cancellation headphones that block out sound, but I think I could make some that magnify sound instead." Leo tried to explain.

"I'll try anything." Frank sighed. Leo nodded, gathered his materials and headed to the engine room.

"Annabeth, was there anything left of your story?" Hazel asked in a comforting voice. Annabeth reluctantly sat up and shook her head.

"No, Bob held the button for us and that was that."

"I definitely understand the nightmares now." Jason said.

"No, only Nico would be able to."

Everyone looked to the doorway. Percy stood in it, crestfallen.

"But he was worse off than we were," Percy continued. "He could see things for what they really were. I only saw through the mist of Tartarus when I was dying of the curses. Tartarus didn't just feel like we were walking on a body—we were. The monsters we saw incubating were blood cells…it was disgusting and mind boggling. A creature so enormous…and Gaia more enormous still. If we fail, if she wakes…well, we're really all just little ants, living on her."

Frank stared at Percy. Mars and Aries were silent. So was everyone in the room.

"I won't apologize for what I did to save us from Chrysaor. But I can promise you that I will never do it again." Determination washed over Percy's face.

"Don't make that promise," Hazel quickly put out there. "That's too much of a burden."

"We all trust you with our lives, Percy." Piper added.

"Yeah, it's enough for us that you came back and recognize that you might have to check yourself once in a while." Jason crossed over to Percy and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I think my dad might be a little afraid of you." Frank laughed, the silence in his head quickly broken by Mars and Aries disputing the truth of that statement.

"By the way, you don't smell anymore." Hazel smiled.

"Thanks, guys," Percy looked almost relieved. "Annabeth?"

Frank saw that Annabeth's eyes were full of sadness—and a bit of fear.

"It's good you're back." Annabeth responded, throwing on a mask of strong leadership. Frank watched Percy's reaction: a sting of sadness that almost immediately transformed to mirror Annabeth's own impersonal demeanor.

_See? We were right about Percy Jackson making a mess of his own love life. Now I would just love to see a fight between those two. _


	8. Annabeth VIII

A/N: Okay, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging with an uncertain Percabeth chapter so here's the resolution :) Jasper love should be coming up soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters xo

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"Can we talk?"

"Percy, we're supposed to be on watch duty."

"And since when does that mean we can't talk?"

Annabeth stared fixedly at the sea. She knew if she looked at him that she would break.

"At least tell me what's going on. I have to know why you're upset—"

"I'm afraid and angry, okay?" Annabeth snapped. Percy gripped the edge of the ship and sighed.

"But why—"

"I don't want to talk about it right now!" Annabeth crossed her arms and began to walk away from him. She needed some time alone. To think about what Percy can do…how it can change him and what that meant for her.

"We have to talk about it. We can't afford to be at odds with each other!" The calm in Percy's voice wavered.

"Gods, do you have kelp in your ears? Just give me some time—"

"We don't have any time—"

"Fine!" Annabeth spun around and marched up to Percy. She raised a shaky finger and pointed it at him.

"I am afraid because you discovered a power that is completely unnatural, immoral and barbarous! I am angry because you knew I didn't want you to use it again—"

"If I didn't use it you would have died!"

"You also completely bailed on us afterwards without a word. How could you just leave like that? I'm afraid that this power is going to have unwanted effects on you. What if you use it again and you become a liability—"

"Liability?!" At this point Percy's calm had turned into anger and exasperation. So much so, that the ship had started to rock more than usual.

"Yes! Look what's happening right now! Do you even know that you're making the water choppy right now? Your powers have been tied to your emotions lately. What if you accidentally drown one of us?"

"Annabeth, I would never—"

"You wouldn't now, but controlling someone like you did earlier doesn't exactly leave a ray of light and goodness behind does it?" Annabeth took a few deep breathes. She looked into Percy's eyes. They were angry, and hurt. It made her frown.

"See, this is why I didn't want to talk about it now. I knew I would hurt you." She rubbed her hands together for something to do…anything to distract from his eyes.

"Are you afraid of me?" Percy's words were soft. Annabeth bit her lip and shrugged.

"Maybe a little."

Any anger in Percy was snuffed out by Annabeth's words. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her legs.

"I'm sorry. I won't let it change me. I'll stay me. I won't hurt you and I'll never leave you."

Annabeth almost cried. She stroked Percy's hair.

"Oh, Seaweed Brain."

"Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt," Leo poked his head out from below deck. "But just so you know, we all heard that. Are you guys going to kiss and make up? Because I have a ship to steer and it's harder to do that down here."

"Leo!" Piper's voice reprimanded. A chuckle, presumably Jason's, was heard.

Annabeth shook her head at Leo and smiled.

Percy quickly stood up and cleared his throat, "Yeah, man. All good."

"Awesome." Leo strolled onto deck. He looked at Percy and raised an eyebrow. "Dude, were you crying?"

Percy grunted and flicked his wrist, sending a wave at Leo. Leo threw out some fire and turned the water into steam.

"Gotta be quicker than that, Jackson!" Leo taunted. Percy grinned as he called a wave from the other side of the ship and doused Leo.

"What, no eyes in the back of your head?" Annabeth teased.

Leo scowled and walked toward Festus while muttering about building rear view glasses. Annabeth laughed and kissed Percy on the cheek. She felt better now that everything was off her mind and out in the open. And realistically, how long could she have been upset with Percy anyway? She loved him. It was all going to work out. Gods, if they could escape Tartarus anything was possible.

"Come on, let's get back to our watch."


	9. Piper IX

A/N: I hope this chapter helps explain more of what Annabeth is thinking about Percy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters xo

* * *

The next morning, Piper woke early and found Annabeth eating breakfast alone.

"Morning!" Piper said cheerfully while taking the seat to Annabeth's right and grabbing a bowl for cereal.

"Morning back." Annabeth replied with a half-smile. After a few minutes of silence Piper put down her spoon and grabbed Annabeth's hand.

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. We don't get a lot of private or boy-free time on this thing and I know you want to be strong for everyone…but it's really okay to if you need a few moments to spill." Piper put as much comfort into her words as possible. She had heard Percy and Annabeth's fight last night. Its "resolution" seemed to work for everyone, but Piper could sense that Annabeth was bottling up a lot of emotion.

Annabeth lowered her eyes and squeezed Piper's hand.

"Thanks, Piper. I don't know if I can talk about it right now, but when I can I'll come find you." Annabeth stood up and made for the door.

"I'll be here, whenever you're ready." Piper reaffirmed. She watched Annabeth stop in the doorway.

"Annabeth?" she questioned. To Piper's surprise and delight, Annabeth spun around and came back to her chair with words tumbling out of her mouth.

"It's just that, Percy's a hero, you know? And not just any hero—but _the_ hero! No offense to anyone else on this ship, but Percy has been doing the impossible since we were twelve! He always puts others before himself. He's good. All good. _Too_ good!"

Piper nodded encouragingly. She could almost see stress and tension rising from Annabeth's body.

"But now he can do this outrageous thing…" Annabeth shook her head fiercely. "And I just know that if it comes down to it, Percy will use that power to save us, or even just to save me. He'll sacrifice himself to that darkness and I don't know how or if I could bring him back. I told Percy I was afraid of him, but I'm really just afraid of losing him."

"Annabeth, even if something happened to Percy, you wouldn't have to save him all on your own. You have too many stubborn friends that want a happy ending." Piper tried to be as soothing as possible.

"I know you're right," Annabeth tried to smile. "I keep telling myself that there isn't anything we can't overcome. I have to believe that."

"Are you going to tell Percy that you still have doubts?"

Annabeth frowned, "No. Not now anyway. Yesterday…I almost thought he was going to break. He needs support right now. He can't be worrying about me worrying about him."

"That's sort of a boyfriend's job, Annabeth." Piper wanted to convince Annabeth that honesty would be best. But what if Jason was the one nearing the deep end? Piper might act the same way. She chased the thought away, _Nothing like this will happen to Jason_.

"Yeah, maybe a boyfriend who isn't trying to save the world…although, I should probably explain the 'being afraid of him' thing. If he had just left it alone for a day the conversation would have gone so much better." Annabeth sighed and then gave Piper a hug.

"Tell me if you need me." Piper said, returning the hug. There would be no convincing Annabeth today.

"Thanks," Annabeth stood up and left.

Piper stared at her soggy cereal and grabbed a plate to wish for a bagel. As she spread her cream cheese, she thought of Jason. If Percy could control someone, what could Jason do? Surely the son of Jupiter—or was it Zeus now?—must have some serious mojo just waiting to be unlocked. She wondered when something like that could happen. While battling Gaea or would it take something else? Gods, she hoped there wouldn't be something else to worry about for a while after this quest.

"Hey, what's up?"

Piper looked up from her bagel and smiled widely as Jason took a seat across the table.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking about you."

Jason flashed his own smile in return, "Good things, I hope."

"Life after we send Gaea back to sleep," Piper shrugged. "I think we should go on a vacation."

"As long as the vacation involves a lot of sleeping in a place rooted to the ground, I'll go anywhere." Jason responded and dove into a plate of scrambled eggs.

"I should probably visit my dad, too. And make sure the Aphrodite Cabin hasn't fallen back under Drew's awful reign."

"I'd like to find Talia again," Jason added. "And we'll need to make sure there's peace between the camps."

"I wish I knew if Reyna, Nico and Coach are okay." Piper took a large bite of her bagel and chewed thoughtfully.

"I think they are, at least so far. I've had a few dreams of them. Reyna is not very pleased with Coach's rowdy behavior," Jason laughed. "Have you seen anything in Katoptris?"

"Um," she swallowed. "I've seen flashes of camp, but they don't really add up to anything."

"I have a feeling we're missing something. It's too quiet."

"We were almost poisoned to death yesterday, but sure, quiet." Piper snickered.

"Yeah, but Chrysaor wanted to sell you the first time, and give Percy and Annabeth up to Gaea as the demigod sacrifices. Did losing his dolphin crew really piss him off so much that none of that was important?"

"Do you think Gaea's forces already have sacrifices?" Piper asked in a low voice.

"I don't think they would give up on us so easily. I mean, we're literally sailing straight to them. Why would they bother getting anyone else?" Jason stabbed his eggs in frustration.

"Well, we'll double our vigilance. I trust your feelings." Piper got up and wrapped her arms around Jason's neck from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Seriously, do I always have to be the one to break up touchy-feely moments?" Leo sighed and took a seat at the table. He placed an extremely bulky and blocky set of headphones on the table.

Piper stood straight, but kept her hands on Jason's shoulders. She looked dubiously at the headphones.

"Couldn't you have made those…more aesthetically pleasing?"

"I thought about it," Leo picked up a piece of bacon and gestured to the headphones. "But then I thought that Robo-Frank would be an entertaining look." He bit his bacon and grinned.

"Do they work?" Jason grabbed them and put them on.

"Flick the button on the side."

"Whoa," Jason stared at Leo in amazement. "I can hear everything!"

"Let me try!" Piper pulled them off and Jason and fitted them over her ears. She really could hear everything. The crunch of Leo's bacon was like the crinkling of tin foil, everyone's breathing was a collection of slow hums punctuated by heart beats. Footsteps from above deck were magnified and the ocean created the perfect background noise.

"Oh, this is awesome, Leo. I hope it gives Frank some relief." Piper laid the headphones back on the table.

"What can I say? I'm hotstuff when it comes to gadgetry." He snapped his fingers and made a burst of flame for effect.

"You're more ripe than hot," Piper said wrinkling her nose as the smell hit her. "Did you sleep in the engine room again?"

"Not a fan of Festus oil in the morning?" Leo quickly got up and pulled her into a bear hug.

"Get your oily bacon hands off me!" While Piper struggled, Jason laughed. It made her laugh too and soon Leo joined in.

"What's so funny?" Frank entered the room with a broad smile. Then his eyes fell on the table.

"What—are those the headphones? They're bigger than the ones pilots wear!"

The trio cracked up even more at Frank's dismay. Piper knew it wasn't really funny, but they were all overdue for a nice laugh.


	10. Jason X

A/N: Sorry, I haven't updated in a while! I wrote this chapter and the next few, but I'm very unsure about them. I thought a few days to think about them might give me a new idea, but no luck. Anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters xx

* * *

"We need to talk about strategy." Annabeth had gathered the demigods in a circle on the main deck. Jason was relieved that the meeting had been called. He _knew_ something was up…maybe this would help him put his finger on it.

"We don't know what to expect when we get to Athens, but we do know who to expect." Annabeth continued.

"Yeah, all of the Giants we already defeated!" Leo shook his head his frustration.

"Minus Clytius." Hazel offered.

"Right. So we have, Polybotes, bane of Poseidon, Porphyrion, bane of Zeus, Alcyoneus, bane of Hades, Enceladus, bane of Athena and Ephialtes and Otis, bane of Dionysus. I think we can safely assume that Polybotes and Porphyrion will be focused on Percy and Jason."

"Alcyoneus will have beef with Hazel." Frank added.

"If we're going by who fought who, then Enceladus is going to want a piece of me too." Jason recalled calling the Giant with the help of Zeus's lightning strike.

"No, that wouldn't be logical. He'll be executing a trap." Annabeth said with certainty.

"Will Ephialtes and Otis be in charge of the sacrificial ritual? Make it as grand as possible?" Piper questioned.

"That would be a good job for them, but I think there's a scheme going on—the whole of Athens could be another manipulative performance for our deaths by the time we get there. Ephialtes and Otis could orchestrate it so we're rats running around a maze for the cheese." Annabeth stated.

"Except the cheese is Dirt Face?" Leo asked.

"And the maze is full of Giants." Percy affirmed.

"They're going to want to separate us." Jason thought aloud.

"Yes, that will make it easier to pick us off or capture us for a sacrifice." Annabeth said in agreement.

"I think the sacrificial bull's eye is still on you and Percy," Leo said. "For some reason the call for your blood is as big as Frank's headphones."

Jason watched Frank self-consciously touch a hand to the boxes covering his ears. He had told Jason that Mars and Aries were more like a background infomercial than surround sound. That was great news to Jason—they couldn't afford to lose Frank's strength to a split personality disorder.

"That just means the bull's eye for our murders is greater." Jason countered Leo's cheek with a reality check. Leo gave back a serious nod of understanding.

"Hey, speaking of maze, what are the chances that the Labyrinth will play into this?" Hazel asked.

Jason looked to Annabeth and Percy who simultaneously groaned.

"If the Labyrinth is truly back, we do not want to take our chances with it. That fact hasn't changed. I don't even know if the entrances would be marked since Daedalus is dead. Hazel, even if you could manipulate it, it wouldn't be wise." Annabeth explained.

"But if we found an entrance and she could manipulate it, wouldn't that be a perfect way to get into Athens unnoticed?" Piper asked. Jason liked this question. He was worried about how they were going to get into Athens too. The sea and the sky would have to be under constant watch by Polybotes and Porphyrion.

"That would be the perfect way to get us separated," Percy spread out his hands. "It's also, you know, underground, guys. We'd be walking straight into Gaea's grasp."

"So, basically, our detection by the Giants will be unavoidable when we get to Athens. Shall I fashion a giant mast that says 'we're here'?" Leo asked sarcastically.

"No, I want us to go in cloaked," Annabeth stated. "Percy and Jason can create a storm and Hazel can use the mist to hide us. We could be fog or a cloud—"

"What if we used the ship as a distraction and entered the city another way?" Frank cut in. "Call on our horse friends and sneak in while whoever is waiting for us goes for the ship?"

"Absolutely not." Leo laughed off the idea as ridiculous.

"Might give us an advantage." Percy shrugged. Annabeth began rattling off ideas on how such a plan could work. Everyone began talking at once, getting excited about a way to one up the Giants.

"Hey!" Leo yelled. His hair burst into flames and everyone immediately shut up.

"Festus was insane, lost his whole body, and possessed by an eidolon. Piper breathed life into him! If you think we're leaving him to the mercy of the Giants you are mistaken. He's as important to the quest as any one of us!" While Leo spoke, the flames on his hair turned from red to a bright blue. Jason inwardly chastised himself for not spending any friend time with Leo. He had a feeling this had something more to do with Festus…something related to Leo's time spent apart from everyone. _Also, blue flames? That's something new. _

"Calm down, Leo!" Piper plead. Leo let out a slow exhale and the flames receded.

"We have to discuss all our options, buddy," Jason sympathized with his friend. _But the distraction plan would be a great plan_. Then something about Leo's words got him thinking.

"Wait, Festus was possessed right before Chrysaor came…that can't have been a coincidence." Jason said slowly.

"Jason's right. Chrysaor wanted us distracted, but it doesn't make sense for him to work with an eidolon unless it was necessary." said Frank.

"Annabeth was shot in the ankle."

Everyone looked at Percy in confusion. _Is that what we're missing?_

"I guess you guys were pretty out of it…Chrysaor said that the poison killed faster the closer it was to your heart. He aimed the darts at everyone's chest or arms, but targeted Annabeth's ankle." Percy explained.

"What, so he really _was_ banking on that bull's eye?" Leo asked. "Seems like a weak plan for old Dirt Face."

Percy shrugged and Jason furrowed his brow. _Eidolon, Chrysaor, Festus…there's something there._

Annabeth's eyes widened. She moved to Piper's side and whispered in her ear. Piper gasped and shook her head "no" in response. Frank's mouth dropped open. Clearly, the three had figured out the missing piece, which annoyed Jason.

"Um, hello? We all don't have Frank's new super ears!" Leo exclaimed.

"Festus will take us into Athens. The _Argo II_ is our only escape route if things go wrong." Annabeth spoke loudly and shot a knowing look at Piper.

"Let's stop talking about this and all go downstairs to get some lunch." Piper's words dripped with charmspeak. Everyone filtered downstairs behind Piper, Annabeth and Frank in confused silence.


	11. Percy XI

A/N: Another short one, next one up probably tomorrow. I still am not very happy with how this part of the story is turning out.

Disclaimer: I don't any of these characters xo

* * *

Once everyone was seated at the table with food in front of them Piper started a conversation while Annabeth ran to her room to fetch a piece of paper. Percy didn't like that he had no idea what was going on. _Jason doesn't like it either._ But he trusted whatever Annabeth was up to.

He picked at some blue macaroni and cheese while Piper and Frank talked about the term "half-blood."

"I wish it didn't have so many racial connotations, don't you?" Piper asked earnestly.

Frank nodded, "Yeah, but it's not like Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood see it that way. Sure, people were a little surprised I was Chinese, but it's whatever now."

"Why can't we just be referred to as demigods? That's totally PC." Piper continued.

Leo stared at his BLT and tapped his fingers on the table in annoyance. Hazel looked equally nonplussed as she stirred a spoon in her bowl of gumbo. Jason sat with pursed lips, eyes focused on the door, waiting for Annabeth. Percy's own eyes mirrored Jason's actions.

Finally, Annabeth returned and handed Percy a piece of paper before taking her seat. Percy stared at the writing, looked at Annabeth, back to the writing and then Annabeth again. Her face clearly said, _Come on, Seaweed Brain_. He casually interrupted whatever Frank was saying.

"Hey, guys, do you ever just think 'man, I really hate my dyslexia?'"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and ripped the paper out of Percy's hand. She produced a pen from her pocket and began to scribble in Greek.

"Yeah, it makes for such an aggravating time." Leo gritted out in response. Piper frowned and Frank nervously bit into a cheeseburger.

Percy took the note back from Annabeth and read the new words clearly:

_Code name: Archimedes sphere = eidolon_

He raised an eyebrow and passed it across the table to Jason who was seated in between Piper and Hazel. As Jason's eyes scanned the note, Hazel looked on in frustration.

"We don't even have the same dyslexia problems. Jason, Frank and I can read Latin, while the rest of you can read Greek!" Hazel exclaimed. Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. Percy smiled and grabbed her hand. Even Athena's kids were allowed to mess up once in a while. Annabeth gave a small sigh and his hand a squeeze.

"Actually, I think I can read both now…" Jason said slowly. Annabeth handed him the pen in delight. He jotted down a translation.

"Still pretty aggravating to not all have the same knowledge." Leo gave his most sarcastic smile before Hazel finally handed the note across the table to him and Frank.

"But apparently, knowledge can be overrated." Leo said once he read the message. He was clearly not pleased by what he read.

"Leo, is the Archimedes sphere in Festus's control panel on the quarter deck still?" Annabeth asked casually.

"Yeah, I didn't do any work on it today." Leo answered without full comprehension of the question.

"Have you discovered anything of importance inside it?"

"Sure, but there's still a lot of it I don't understand…"

"Maybe I could try coaxing all of it out, you know, permanently?" Piper added. Frank and Annabeth shared a smile.

Percy put his hands on his head and leaned back in his chair as the code name finally made sense. _The_ _eidolon is still possessing Festus!_

A few seconds later Leo snapped his fingers in recognition, "That's it! I mean, yeah, Piper, that would be great. Come up with me after lunch to look at it?"

Jason slapped his hand against the table when he figured it out, "Sorry, thought I saw a fly."

"Oh, I like that plan too." Hazel finally said. She smiled and took a large bite of rice and sausage.

"Great, so Piper will take care of that and we can try to keep figuring out the Athens entrance plan for the _Argo II_." Annabeth declared.

Percy took up his fork again and nudged Annabeth with his elbow. She looked at him and he winked_. Smooth, Annabeth_.

Annabeth snagged some of his mac n' chesse with her own fork and smiled.


	12. Leo XII

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters xx

* * *

Leo led Piper onto the deck. _How could I forget that my own ship was possessed? Right, probably because I thought the whole defeating them once was ya know, final, and then I was almost poisoned to death—typical, everyday stuff._

"Well, there it is." Leo pointed to the sphere when they arrived. He was a bit confused as Festus' head was at the other end of the ship. Piper seemed to have realized that too.

"You know what? I think I'll go talk to Festus for a few minutes. If I can figure out my connection with his inner uh, mechanized soul, then I'm sure the sphere will be a piece of cake."

"Cool, whatever gets your mojo going." Leo responded with relief. While Piper walked toward Festus, Leo pulled a pair of earbuds out of his tool belt. He popped them in and grinned—they were the iPod shuffle version of Frank's new headphones. He was planning on giving them to Frank before the big battle, but for now, the other ones were simply perfect.

"Hey, Festus."

Piper's words rung loud and clear followed by familiar whirring.

"And hello, eidolon. You didn't think I would forget about you, did I?"

"A spirit can dream, can't they?" responded the phantom voice.

"I want you to swear on the River Styx that you will never visit, return to, become, or possess anyone or anything that can see or communicate with any member of this crew or this ship."

"I swear it on the River Styx."

"Furthermore, I want you to swear on the River Styx that you will never let any eidolon you come in contact with, including yourself, conspire against this ship or any member of this crew."

"I swear it on the River Styx."

"Good, ghostie. Now, leave!" Piper patted Festus' head with a smile. The dragon head was silent for a few minutes which made Leo nervous, but then he heard Festus' pleasant buzzing. He shoved the earbuds back into his belt and came out to meet Piper.

"That was great, Pipes! I think you lawyer proofed it." Leo clapped her on the back.

"I hope so," Piper blushed. "Do you still want me to look at the sphere?"

"Nah, I want to figure it out by myself." Leo shrugged. Truthfully, he needed something to focus on besides their impending doom and the ridiculous astrolabe or he would go crazy.

Piper nodded and together they headed below deck.

"How's the sphere?" Annabeth asked as soon as she saw them.

"The eidolon is gone! Festus is free!" Leo shouted in delight.

"Awesome, bud," Jason said. "Come sit down with us."

Leo didn't like the tone of Jason's voice. It was more protective than happy. He took his seat and stared at his friend.

"The eidolon thinks we plan to take the _Argo II_ into Athens." Jason began. Leo nodded. _Yeah, we already discussed this, Grace. _

"If the ship doesn't port at the city, Gaea's forces will know we tricked them." Jason continued. Again, Leo nodded, not seeing the point. Jason frowned.

"We can't be on the _Argo II_, Leo."

"What?" Leo stood up from his chair and directed a glare at Annabeth. "You planned this!"

"Leo, the distraction plan is our best bet." she responded grimly.

"No, we can't sacrifice Festus! The enemies will blow the ship out of the water when they find out we aren't on it!" Leo looked frantically around the table for some sympathy but everyone looked resigned.

"And they'll blow us out of the water as soon as they see us on deck." Annabeth said simply.

"You don't understand, I _need_ this ship—" Leo searched for the right words as he could feel his body begin to hum with warmth.

"I know you have a connection to Festus, Leo, but there doesn't seem to be another way. We'll find another vehicle to get us back home." Piper tried to make him understand.

"I need the _Argo II_ to save Calypso!" the words burst out of Leo's mouth, accompanied by sparks from his fingertips.

"What now?" Percy asked worriedly. "She's still on Ogygia?"

Leo looked at him with a grave face and nodded.

"Gods, no one on Olympus can keep a promise." Percy shook his head.

"Leo, we'll help you rescue her after everything is over." Jason had such promise and warmth in his voice, but Leo knew it had to be his quest alone.

"I promised on the River Styx to return to her." Leo said quietly. "I need the _Argo II_. I'm sure of it."

As so many times before, everyone grew quiet in disbelief-except for Annabeth whose eyes filled with a million mental calculations. Leo rubbed his own eyes in response. _Another way for me to mess up the quest. _

"You'll have it," Hazel confidently broke the silence. "We can dock the ship somewhere safe. I'll use the mist to make it seem like the _Argo II_ is still on the expected course. I think as long as I can see where it 'should' be, I can project its image."

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Hazel? That's going to take a great deal of focus and energy." Frank grabbed her hand as doubt shone in his eyes.

"I helped raise a giant and basically summoned the entrance to Tartarus the other day. I am absolutely certain." Hazel gave Frank a reassuring look and reached for Leo's hand with her free one.

Leo took it gratefully, "I would kiss you, but I don't want Optimus Frank to transform into an angry katoblep." He glanced at Frank, who scoffed at him.

"Okay, then that's decided. We can iron out the details later." Annabeth declared hastily, "But can we revisit Hazel summoning the entrance to _Tartarus_ and how _no one_ told me about that?" She looked at Percy in annoyance. Leo shook his head and made for the engine room as Piper and Jason expressed that they had no idea about it either and Frank launched into the chain of events. He needed to be around things that made sense.


	13. Annabeth XIII

A/N: Sorry for not updating! When BoO came out, my demigod fix was filled and I didn't know if I should end the fic or continue...but I'm thinking continue with and incorporate it into the canon story? I felt like we missed a lot of viewpoints in BoO (*cough Percy & Annabeth*). Anyway, I'll figure it out as I go. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with my story, I really appreciate it! ^-^

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters xo.

* * *

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?" Annabeth knocked on the doorframe to alert her presence. Leo looked up from his work desk and swiveled to face her.

"Sure." It didn't take an Athena or Aphrodite kid to figure out that Leo was not pleased to see her. His left fingers nervously tapped the table while his others passed a screwdriver knuckle to knuckle.

"I apologize for—"

"Planning to use Festus as bait?" Leo cut in with a grim smile.

"Well, doing it behind your back. It really was logical—" Annabeth stopped herself, "Sorry. Had I known about your promise to Calypso I would have thought of something else." She bit her lip and looked at him wanting to say more.

"It's okay, Annabeth. If we didn't have Hazel…I probably would have come round in time. Time filled with anxiety and dread and sleepless nights of brainstorming, but time." Leo rested his hands on his lap.

Annabeth took a step forward, "Even if giving up the _Argo II_ meant losing Calypso? We still aren't sure Hazel can do the project yet. Leo, you swore on the River Styx—"

"Yeah, not one of my cleverer moments. I remembered the prophecy afterward." Leo pushed off the desk and spun around in his chair.

"Look, if it comes down to a choice between saving the world or turning my back on it to fulfill my promise, you don't have to worry."

Annabeth stopped the chair from spinning and placed her hand on Leo's shoulder.

"I think we've dealt with enough crossroads. We're going to save the world _and_ we're going to make sure you make it to Calypso. No more secrets. We all have to be honest from this point forward or we won't be able to rely on each other."

"Like telling Percy that you still have doubts about him?"

"How did you-?" Annabeth blushed and took a step backward.

"I was testing Frank's new ears when you were spilling to Piper." Leo gave Annabeth a sheepish grin and scratched his head, "I didn't hear everything…just enough to know you guys aren't back to normal."

"Maybe we have to get used to a new normal." Annabeth sighed. Leo was right, she still hadn't completely fixed things with Percy.

"Speaking of a new normal, your fire was blue earlier."

"Say what?" Leo made a perfect orange flame in the palm of his hand and studied it.

"When we upset you earlier your hair caught on fire and the flames turned blue. Have you experimented at all?"

"I haven't tried to push any limits. I usually just use my powers when I need them…or when I'm emotional." Leo screwed up his face and continued to focus on the flame.

"You know the Fantastic Four?" Annabeth asked looking at the flame with similar intensity, as if she could will Leo's power forth.

"Yeah, gonna start calling me the Human Torch?" Leo waggled his eyebrows and let the flame creep higher.

"Let's see how hot you can go first. It might not lead to anything, but I think it's important we all have an idea of how far we can push ourselves. Can you make yourself a thermometer?"

"Don't make me laugh," Leo began pulling out tools from his belt. "Go straighten things out with the water boy, would ya?"

Annabeth smiled and then started for her and Percy's shared cabin. She found him lying in bed tossing Riptide in the air.

"Hey, can we talk?" She closed the door and perched on the edge of the bed.

"Sure, is it about Leo?"

"Not really." Annabeth's eyes followed the pen in frustration.

"Ah, okay. You know, I'm not surprised that Calypso is still in Ogygia. I just can't believe I didn't follow up on that. I feel so stupid."

Annabeth rolled her eyes; she did not want to talk about Calypso. Especially, in relation to Percy.

"Percy—"

"All I'm good for lately is stupid things." Percy sighed and released Riptide into the air. Annabeth snatched it before landing in his palm and placed it on the bed.

"Percy, can you listen to me?"

"Yeah, sorry." Percy pushed himself to a sitting position and looked at Annabeth. She noted that his eyes looked tired. They had spent the night together with no nightmares, but Annabeth had felt Percy stir every few hours.

"Last night, I said I was afraid of you." The tired eyes grew sharp with concern and uncertainty.

"I didn't fully explain myself. I'm not afraid of you hurting me, I'm afraid that you'll protect me at any cost. I don't want that cost to be losing yourself to this new power."

Percy took Annabeth's hand, kissed it and then gave her a half smile.

"Loyalty is my fatal flaw."

"That makes it even scarier, Seaweed Brain." Percy pulled her to sit against him and wrapped his arms tight around her waist.

"Look, as long as I have you, I'll always be me. I don't think the small of my back was my tether when I jumped into the River Styx. I think it was you."

"Really?" Annabeth turned to face Percy. Her face filled with happiness.

"Proud of me for loving you so much?"

"Maybe proud that our relationship is stronger than the Styx."

"Whose fatal flaw are we talking about now, Miss Hubris?"

"Oh, shut up and kiss me."


End file.
